I caught my first trout on Pen lake many years ago. My brother and I went in the week after opener.  It snowed the night before we arrived and had pen pretty much to ourselves. After fishing for a few hours in the morning my brother had a few and I was skunked. So while he cleaned fish at some random spot along the shore I was relaxing, almost asleep in the back of the canoe waiting for him to return. A trout hit my lure while dangling at the back of the canoe. Tiny little guy, but my first trout. Last year mid summer we went back to the same area and my brother took the kids fishing in the same area. 4 kids under 15 got there first trout in a matter of hours fishing time. So I would say if you can get them mid summer, spring should not be a problem. Plus I would say 2/3 of the time early in the morning you will see a moose on the western shore north of the island just after the portage into pen. Early am. I like to camp on either the land spit or the island. You can hear the plop plop as he walks along in the water eating, even from the island.

There is a 2 person Midori. Go with that or continue with the 3 person. I can't imagine Bert being left outside. If he is wet and dirty, clean up to best of your ability. I can't imagine while you are tripping you are perfectly clean. Definitely bring him a blanket. Bert would be allowed in my bag and I am 6'3. I would not want him cold all night. More likely spread out the cover below us and rectangle bag over us. Depending on temperature or two rectangle bags.  Think about it. If he is already wet,  he will be cold over night and he can't huddle with his pack for warmth if they are in a tent he can't get to.

This happens all the time. The park needs to get on this.  We used to do a regular trip to pen lake. Got there one year and had to paddle all the way to the other end of the lake to get a spot. Odd there are more sites available than are allowed to be reserved. So next year. I got a spot and my brother also reserved a site for him and his kids. Odd had to paddle all the way to the end of the lake again. Only one spot left!  We can fix this. So next year I reserve a site my brother reserves a site and my friend also reserves a site. Odd still only one site left. Everyone slept on my site. Filed a complaint park basic response. You found a place to sleep didn't you. They don't care even a tiny bit.
The park needs to step up enforcement, they are destroying the experience for those who play by the rules. Make the fine so unreasonable, that if the ranger catches one person a day it pays his wage. This would discourage this activity.

Last year so similar situation. On pen we had 3 sites. Stopped on the site on the north side of the land spit at the north end,  dropped off some things, moved across to the island site and was dropping of a few more things to set up two sites. While we were on the island, a monster group 20 plus with 6-8 canoes showed up and claimed the whole island. Upon announcing we had 2 sites they said yeah we should have had 2 sites but they didn't. It was great they were taking the whole spit (even though they only had one site for all of them).

Getting tired of this bs. Debating going back to Algonquin at all this year as this sucks big time to continuously run into the same problem. Park does not care at all. 



Vent over.


In answer to your question, knowing the situation I have been in with little ones in the canoe,  I keep an eye on the shoreline at dusk to offer a spot for people stuck in the same position. Ther is enough space for all of us out there if we share a bit and help each other out in times like that. It just makes me angry-

Almost forgot. Get in early if you are going on a week end. Unfortunately the reason I found out 14 was good is it was the only one left when I got there in spite of having 2 sites reserved. That has happened every time I go to pen.

Check out The area around the falls between penn and clydegale. The kids had fun swimming in the deep hole between Rapids. Surprisingly deep. Over my head but only a few feet wide. We had 1 young one who stayed in a water wings. There is also a deep hole below the the falls on the way from pen towards welcome. Harder to get into, but the kids liked swimming at the base of the waterfall. You should have something on the feet due to abrasive/sharp rocks. As far as sites go. The site on the island at the north end is ok. The two sites on the land spit to the west of that are also good. I have had great sites every where on penn each has advantages and disadvantages.